6 simple tricks to nail your New Year’s resolutions

01 January 2017, by The Floatworks

Well we finally made it – happy New Year to all! As is traditional, with the changing of the calendar comes the inevitable promises of “eat less junk food”, “spend more time on me”; and that one we’ve all said a few times, “I WILL join the gym and go regularly.”

Yep – you’ve made your New Year’s Resolutions… now all you have to do is stick to them!

We know it’s tough to make any sort of lifestyle change last, which is why we’ve drawn up a few pointers to pick you back up again when you think you might be falling down. Are you sitting comfortably? Great! Then let’s begin….

Set out clear goals. And yes, write them down!
It all starts with a list. And it sounds silly, but the very action of writing down your goals makes them that much more achievable (if you don’t write rules down you can never break them, right?), and putting them somewhere you’ll see them every day will help make them become a part of your daily thought patterns. And if the list doesn’t work, create mantras that you can repeat to yourself. “I WILL give up smoking.” “I WILL run a marathon.” “I WILL cut out junk food.” Incorporate them into your meditation or floating sessions, and they’ll become reality in no time!

Think about food
Food is your fuel, for your brain as well as your body – it’s important to always remember that. If you’re anything like us, you felt like you’ve overindulged over the festive period and need to cut back in 2017. But even if your resolution is food-related, remember that: You. Need. To. Eat. If you’re looking to lose weight, or even just eat a bit healthier, don’t skip breakfast – they call it the most important meal of the day for a reason. Plan out your meals. Make them a social focus of your day. It’s all well-and-good cutting out the bad stuff, but you need to replace it with good stuff too, otherwise your body and your mind will wither!

Plan ahead… but don’t beat yourself up if the plans don’t quite stick initially
Okay, so you’re going to give up x, or start doing y? By when? And how are you going to get there? While you should absolutely set goals and keep written reminders somewhere you’ll see them (iCal, notebook, the cookie cupboard…), remember that one slip up (or two or three!) doesn’t mean you’ve failed or have to throw in the towel. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start again. One day missed at the gym doesn’t make a wasted week, and one full-size pizza on a Friday night isn’t going to give you a heart attack. Chill. You got this.

Reward yourself, even if you think you don’t deserve it
So you made it to February and you’ve stuck to your resolutions for a whole month? Great! Treat yourself. There’s no point making a difficult change in your life without reward, and there’s no point beating yourself up if you fall down here-and-there, too. It’s all about little victories… just make sure you treat yourself accordingly!

Find a coaching partner
Whether it’s your best friend, boyfriend or mother, if someone else close to you is setting themselves up for change in 2017, buddy up! The pure fact that you have someone there supporting you (and vice versa) will make it easier to stick to those resolutions… and the guilt when you let them down works just as well as a kick up the backside, too!

And remember… you can’t change everything overnight
The very reason you’ve made a New Year’s resolution is because you know it’s not going to be easy. Have patience. You might trip up. It’s not the end of the road, just pick yourself back up, dust yourself off and carry on. You’ll get there.

We hope you find those tips helpful for sticking to your 2017 resolutions. Tweet us to let us know how you’re getting on!